A tale of two Gentians

I encountered two different species of Gentian this year, thanks to being in the right place at the right time, and tips from local photographers!

The first Gentian I encountered was the Narrow Leaved Gentian (Gentiana linearis ).  I found this plant on the edges of Archer's Vly, north of Lake Desolation just south of the border of the Adirondack Park.  This gentian is considered a threatened species in this state.  It is found primarily in moist soil around wetlands.    Pollination can only be accomplished by larger bees such as the bumblebee.  The bee needs to be able to push into the flower in order to collect pollen and distribute it.  

Here is one of my pictures of Narrow Leaved Gentians and another one that is more professional.  

Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.newhampshirewildflowers.com/narrow-leaved-gentian.php
The second Gentian encountered was the Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita)

This is an endangered species in New York.  I encountered this plant in the Orra Phelps Nature Preserve in Saratoga County, NY.  The flower remains closed on cloudy days or in low light but opens up in the sun.  I was able to photograph it in both conditions.

Painted Lady butterfly

The Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is a common butterfly in the Eastern U.S.  It is occasionally a migratory species if there is a there are large numbers and weather conditions a right.

The Painted Lady lays it's eggs on host plants such as thistle, hollyhock and mallow.  The caterpillars use these plants to eat and grow.  Painted lady butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Egg - Mint green, barrel-shaped eggs are laid singly on the leaves of host plants, and hatch in 3-5 days.
Larva - The caterpillar has five instars over 12-18 days.
Pupa - The chrysalis stage lasts about 10 days.
Adult - Butterflies live for just two weeks.  They feed on plants such as asters, thistle, joe-pye weed and milkweed.


Information found from https://www.thoughtco.com/painted-lady-vanessa-cardui-1968205  
Photo by Linda M Wheeler

This blog was started for me to show my adventures in the natural places of our world.
I love botany, flora, fauna and photography.  While my photos are not the best in the world, I do enjoy taking them and sharing with others.  

This first entry will showcase two common types of Running pine found in Upstate New York.  I photographed these at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve in the Opdahl section.   

This first photo depicts both Running Ground Cedar" Lycopodium - a club moss Lycopodium digitatum ), and Running Clubmoss otherwise known as Stag's horn clubmoss ( Lycopodium clavatum)

 

Running Ground Cedar is a common woodland plant.  Note on the right side of the photo the peduncle rising in the plant's center.  This is the strobili (cone-like spore-bearing structures) that are the plants reproductive parts.  

Stag's horn Clubmoss is the "fuzzy" looking plant to the top and left.  It is a spore bearing vascular plant that runs along a main stem.